Articles

HCC partners with Stanford University on new virtual heart program

Mar 9, 2018

Imagine being able to perform virtual heart surgery without having to go through medical school. Now you can!

Using Stanford University’s Virtual Heart Program and the new state-of-the-art virtual reality lab and studio now available at Houston Community College, students and faculty can transport themselves inside the human heart to see how it functions when experiencing abnormalities. They can even begin surgery to fix any problems they discover – all in a risk-free, virtual environment.

Stanford University is partnering with HCC and 20 other institutions to test the virtual heart application. Co-developer Dr. David Axelrod describes the technology as “an educational virtual reality experience in congenital heart disease, intended for parents/patients and students/faculty.”

The Stanford Virtual Heart is the newest addition to HCC’s library of unique, immersive applications accessible in the virtual reality lab and studio at HCC Central College. Students use the lab not only to explore material but to also create their own work. For example, a student in an art class can design graphics in Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop and then maneuver through it in the virtual reality lab. Chemistry students are able to create and interact with molecules in three dimensions and architecture students can take a virtual stroll through the buildings they design. The lab offers endless opportunities for conceptualization, construction and design.